No primary for Whitehall City Council races

There will be no primary election May 7 in Whitehall as two candidates failed to file a valid petition with the Franklin County Board of Elections.

Three candidates had filed petitions for Ward 3 council representative in Whitehall: Jerry Brooks, Larry R. Morrison, and David B. Nixon.

The Franklin County Board of Elections rejected Brooks’ petition for not having the required number of valid signatures, 15, and also for “incomplete circulator statement on only part petition.”

Brooks has collected 18 signatures, according to Board records, indicating at least four of the 18 were not valid.

Books failure to qualify for the ballot leaves only two candidates for Ward 3 council representative, and no need for the city’s non-partisan primary.

Morrison and Nixon, both of Ross Road, will advance to the non-partisan general election in November to vie for the Ward 3 seat that incumbent Councilman Leo Knoblauch was forced to vacate because of term limits.

Wards 1, 2 and 4 will be uncontested in November.

A Ward 4 race was in the offering, but the Board of Elections rejected the petition of Pamela Kay Sugar, of Fairway Boulevard, for not having the required number of valid signatures.

According to Board records, Sugar obtained 18 signatures, indicating at least four signatures on Sugar’s petition were not valid.

Incumbent Ward 4 Councilman Van Gregg, who was elected to his first term in 2009, will be unopposed in the general election.